Word of the day: Apricity

Apricity is today’s word of the day. It names a simple joy: winter sunlight that feels warm on your skin, even when the air is cold. Apricity means the warmth of the sun in winter. It is a rare, poetic noun that you can use to describe that cozy sun patch by a window when the wind still bites.​

Apricity comes from Latin apricus, meaning sunny or warmed by the sun. It appears in English around 1623, noted by Henry Cockeram, and stayed a literary rarity.​ Use apricity for moments like afternoon sun on a cold balcony, a warm car seat in January, or a ray of light on your desk during a chilly workday. It captures gentle relief from the cold.​

Writers also use apricity metaphorically for emotional warmth. A smile, a kind message, or a quiet moment can feel like apricity during a hard week. Use sparingly for impact.​​
“On a brittle morning, she paused on the doorstep, closed her eyes, and let the apricity sink in before the day’s bustle.”​

You can swap apricity with gentle sun warmth terms in lyrical writing. Possible stand‑ins include winter sunshine, solar glow, sun warmth, soft radiance, cozy sunlight, or a sunlit lull.​ Do not use apricity for heatwaves, noon glare, or summer scorch. Avoid replacing warmth of people with apricity in formal prose. It is not for temperature readings or clinical reports.​